


An Exorcist in Red

by m0rkl



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: AU, Exorcist!Red AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 16:22:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7691398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m0rkl/pseuds/m0rkl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So I started talking about an exorcist!Red AU and people seemed to like it. I thought I'd only write some headcanons, but I couldn't resist.<br/>________</p>
<p>Red never left with Mana and the Black Order picks up the seven year old orphan instead. At least he's away from that horrid circus, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Based off [this post of mine](http://m0rkl.tumblr.com/post/148416679896/exorcistred-heacanons) and all the headcanons that followed

 

* * *

 

 

            When Red wakes up, he has no idea where he is. The first this he notices is the smell, or rather the lack thereof. The usual stink of animals and their waste is absent. Whatever this sharp smell is, he hasn’t experienced it before and it’s making him queasy. It’s bright, but his vision is slightly blurry and for a brief moment he wonders if he’s dead. Quickly he shakes the idea because if he were dead, he wouldn’t be thinking any of this. He’s never been one to believe in heaven, hell or any sort of afterlife.

            Groaning, he sits up and tries to remember what happened. His right hand pushes into a clean white sheet, softer than any fabric he’s felt before. It’s almost as soft as that dog he met the other day. Ah, the dog. That’s right. He begins to see what he remembers last.

            He had been watching from a distance as that traveling clown gave his dog a funeral. Red wasn’t able to come any closer. Cosimo has beaten him so badly that his legs were hardly able to move so he laid on his side and watched from the hole in the equipment tent as the clown buried his dog. Red had cried himself to sleep thinking about that dog whose fur was so soft and his tongue so warm on his deformed left hand. He had never felt anything so warm.

            Later, he woke to the sound of shouts. He remembers clamoring out of the tent on unsteady legs. People were screaming and running around like headless chickens. That clown was nowhere to be found, but Red could hardly bring himself to care. There were massive gray creatures looming in the sky, firing bright purple bullets that turned people to dust within seconds. Red remembers getting pushed around and stepped on in a stampede of people trying to escape. His seven year old legs were too small for him to run fast enough. One of the creatures spotted him as he tumbled out of the crowd and aimed its distorted canon right at his face. Red always thought he would welcome death, but in that moment, had never been more afraid. He desperately wanted to live. Instead of death, Red was met with his own left arm turning into a massive grey claw. The arm moved on it’s own, dragging Red along the ground before it took the creature down.

            Almost immediately after, he passed out. And that was it. The next thing he knew, he was here in this foreign place.

            “Ah, good. He’s woken up.” A man’s voice made Red snap his head up, alerting him to his dizziness. Something about his voice reminds the boy of the ringmaster. Vaguely, he wonders if the ringmaster had sold him off finally. “As soon as he is able, I want him to begin training and raising his synchronization rate.”

            What the hell was he talking about? Red pushes himself up more and rubs his eyes one at a time. His vision focuses better afterward and he blinks at the tall man with a square mustache near his bedside. Beady black eyes stare down at him and once again Red is reminded of the ringmaster. The man’s eyes lock with Red’s stone gray one for only a moment before the man turns sharply and speaks to the other occupants of the room. There’s a dark haired woman in a crisp white jacket that reaches her ankles and a bald man with the same jacket. Red has never seen clothes like that before, but it reminds him of the fancy jackets that the rich men wore. They were always the best to pickpocket. “Notify me when he is ready to begin.” It wasn’t until the door slammed behind the tall man that anyone spoke to Red.

            “Hello, there. It’s good to see you awake.” The woman comes up to his bedside with a shallow grin and sticks her hands into the pockets of her white jacket. “I’m Dr. Felder, what’s your name?”

            For a moment, Red just glares at her. He’s only ever met one doctor before and he could hardly be called such. Dr. Daniels worked for the circus, tending to the performers if they hurt themselves or fell ill, but after he once threatened to cut off Red’s arm, the boy avoided him like the plague.

            “Maybe he’s mute?” The bald man snorts and walks up next to Felder. He looks at Red like an object. The boy knows that look all to well. “That’d be nice.”

            “Fuck you.” Red snarls and the man laughs.

            “So much for that then.” He flips through some papers and glances at Red periodically. “This one’s only at 7%. You think he even stands a chance? ”

            “Well, he’s a parasitic type. That’s has to give him some sort of boost, doesn’t it?” Nothing of what they’re saying makes any sense to Red. He wants to snap at them, yell, or do anything, but he’s tired and his body hurts. Answers could come later, if he even stuck around long enough to need them. As soon as he was able, he’d make a break for it.

            “Maybe.” The bald man shrugs. The woman turns back to Red and smiles.

            “Let’s try this again, sweetheart. What’s your name?”

            “Well, it ain’t sweetheart, tha’s for sure.” His right hand grabs at the sheets that cover him, wishing he could pull in over his head and disappear.

            “Then what is it?” Her patience was obviously starting to wear thin. Red grumbles uneasily and refuses to look Felder in the face. “I’m sorry what was that?”

            “I said... I ain’t got a name.” He says with not much more certainty than the first time. “But... I guess you can call me Red.”

            “Alright then, Red. Welcome to the Black Order.”


	2. His General

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyne looks forward to being Red's General.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've finally posted again. Like Luck & The Lack Thereof, these are gonna be one shots that are not in chronological order.

            “Still too slow!” Nyne barked at him, cracking her whip in the air. Red picked up the pace, dodging and blocking Lau Jimin’s punches, but unable to get in a hit of his own. The boy gritted his teeth and dove down to avoid a hit. He slid between the monkey’s legs and started running for Nyne. She smirked and he jumped launching a punch at her face. Easily, she side stepped, letting Red tumble to the ground. “You’re not allowed to attempt surprise attacks until you’re fast enough. I saw that coming a mile away. Shit like that will get you killed.”

            “Ugh, fine then! Let’s go again.” The red-head growled, dusting off his training clothes as he stood, but the General shook her head.

            “Sorry, Red. I’ve gotta pack for my mission.” She motioned for Lau Jimin to return to his deactivated size. The monkey shrank and clambered up to her should.

            He almost protested, but instead growled and turned away. “Whatever. I can practice on my own.” Coming off as needy wouldn’t do him any good. Red didn’t need anyone else. He’d become strong on his own. Still, having General Nyne as his teacher seemed like a good fit. She knew what life had been like for him in the circus. She had seen that life herself, lived it. The woman knew how to handle an angry kid and how to turn his raw strength into real power.

            General Nyne watched Red for a moment as he started the practice sequence she had shown him earlier in the week. It was expected that he would be assigned to her team and she would begin work as his official mentor, but the final word had yet to come from the higher ups. Turning on her heel, she sighed to herself. The Black Order was always so peculiar with these things. None of the other Generals Red had met were a good match for him. Perhaps Tiedoll would do him some good, but the man had his hands full with Kanda, whom Red clashed with constantly. The man had three apprentices, two of them children. Nyne had two, both of which were adult who didn’t need as much guidance as Red would. It made the most sense for her to take Red, so she didn’t understand Central’s hesitance.

            She cast one last glance at Red, deep in focus as he went through his motions. As a General, it was her duty to travel the world and find new accommodations. Once Red was officially assigned to her team, she could bring him along. Taking him out into the real world to train would be good. It would be an opportunity to let him experience life. It seemed that for a long time, Red had only been shown the world’s harsh and cruel nature. She wanted to show him that the world wasn’t entirely bad, even if this damned war made it seem that way. As she moved down the hall towards her room, she spotted a familiar shock of long red hair.

            “Well, you’re looking lovely as always.” Cross Marian grinned at her and revealed a bottle of expensive wine.

            “What do you want, Marian?” She said coolly, moving past him to unlock her door. The man almost followed her in, but she swiveled around just in time to stop him from entering the doorway. “I don’t have time to fool around with you. I’m about to leave on a mission.”

            “Shame. It’s been such a long time since we’ve drank together.” He ran a gloved hand through his hair and sighed.

            “Has it? I didn’t notice.” She stared at him with a blank face, then slammed the door and started to pack. Faintly, she could hear Cross’ boots click down the hall. Cross’ presence troubled her a little. Not because of his unwanted advances, but because next to nothing could drag Cross back to the Order where he might possibly be held accountable for shirking his duties. Whatever had brought him here had to be important. Lau Jimin screech at her from atop her suitcase. She stroked the monkey’s head and let out an exasperated breath. Cross Marian was a complicated man. He was an excellent exorcist and a talented magician, but that didn’t mean she trusted him in the slightest.

* * *

 

            “I’ve got everything in order from central. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.” Cross lounged on the seat in the middle of the Chief Supervisor’s office. Komui glared into the paperwork the General had brought him. “The boy’s mine now.”

            “I don’t understand why you’re doing this.” Uncharacteristic anger shook his frame. Why couldn’t these kids get a break? “Red was in the process of being assigned to General Nyne. Everything was almost complete we were just waiting on the final word from the top!”

            “But it’s never going to come.” He sipped from his glass of wine. Cross had offered Komui a glass but he sharply refused. “I went straight to central to get it approved.”

            “Why?! You’ve never shown interest in taking a student before!” Komui slapped down the papers, frustrated that once again things were entirely out of his control. “You of all people should not be taking one on, especially not a child.”

            “This is war, Lee. None of them get to be children. That’s the fucking reality.” Cross knew that and Komui did too. The way the Order turned children into soldiers was cruel beyond belief, but with the way this war was going, there wasn’t much of a choice.  “But all that aside, that boy is different.” Suddenly, Cross’ face grew dark. “I’m sure Hevlaska told you of the prophecy?”

            “All the more reason he should go with Nyne and not you!” The Supervisor was on the verge of shouting, his hands trembling in anger. He recalled Hevlaska’s haunting words and how they were all shocked that this child with a less than 15%  synchronization rate was to be the Destroyer of Time. “She’ll teach him how to handle himself an exorcist--”

            “This is beyond just being an exorcist, Supervisor Lee.” Cross stood, taking slow steps towards Komui’s desk. “I have been looking for that boy for years, only to find him holed up here in this dastardly place. You don’t understand what exactly is it you have on your hands.”

            “Then tell me! Tell him! Red deserves to know whatever the hell it is you’re talking about!” Komui stood from his desk as well, unwilling to be intimidated by the General.

            “In time, he’ll learn.” Cross finished off his glass of wine and set it on Komui’s desk. From of the stack of papers, he pulled the one that required Komui signature and laid it on top. “Now, just sign here and I’ll take the boy off your hands.”

            “His name is Red. Not ‘the boy’.”

            “Sign, Lee. Unless you want to feel the heat from central.” The grin on Cross’s lips was wicked as he handed Komui the pen.

            “Fine.” He hissed, taking the pen and signing his name. “Red is official assigned to your team. Congratulations General Cross Marian, you now have a student.” Komui forced out. The door to the office creaked, alerting the men to new presence. Red glared daggers at the tall man clad in the black and gold General’s uniform. “Red…” When had he gotten there? How much had he heard?

            “I thought… She...” His small fists clenched and he jerked his head to the side. There was a heat behind his eyes, but he refused to cry. He didn’t need Nyne. He didn;t need anybody, he reminded himself bitterly.

            “Good, you’re here, brat.” Cross folded his arms and approached the boy. “Pack up your shit. We leave now. I’m not sticking around any longer than I have to.”

            “Who the fuck’re you?” Despite having to crane his neck, Red gave a glare with an intensity to rival Cross’.

            “Your new master, idiot.” He gave one short laugh as he looked down at Red. “I own you now.”

            “Cross! You can’t treat him like that!” Komui shouted, now afraid for Red and what was to come for him.

            “Don’t worry, Lee. I know how to handle my apprentice.” He looked back at the back and smirked. “Now.” His gaze turned back to Red and took in the boy’s defiant posture. “I’m gonna have so much fun working that attitude out of you.”

* * *

 

            Klaud returned from her mission with the report already filled out. She had done in on the train so that when she got back, she could drop off the innocence she found and head straight to Komui’s office. Hopefully, word about Red’s General assignment would finally be back. The mission had only taken her a few days. Perhaps she had rushed it a little, but the General was eager to get back to training Red. He was getting a lot better at using proper form when fighting and she hoped to help him learn to raise his synchronization rate next.

            She dropped off the innocence with Hevlaska and started for Komui’s office. Perhaps she would take Red to France first. The boy had never been out of England and she doubted he had ever seen the ocean. The weather in Nice was pleasant this time of year and she believed it would do Red’s psyche a lot of good to spend some time by the ocean. From what she could tell, the majority of Red’s life had been pain and misfortune. Before she could do any real training with him, there was a lot of healing to be done. Her thoughts carried her up to the Supervisor’s office. She pushed through the door and set her mission report on Komui’s desk.

            “Have Red’s General assignment papers come in yet? I intend to take leave with him by the end of the week.” Klaud wasn’t the type of person who smiled very often, yet she could feel the slightest twitch at the corner of her mouth. However, something was off. Komui had said nothing, his hands folded in front of his mouth. “What happened? They didn’t… They didn’t take him again, did they?” The woman held face but inside she felt cold. How dare central ruin this child’s life up again.

            “Central didn’t take him.” Komui spoke in a low voice and Klaud noticed the anger in his eyes.

            “Then who…” Suddenly she remembered Cross and his cold smile. “Fuck!” She slammed a fist into the desk, causing papers to scatter. Lau Jimin cried out in similar anger.

            “He went through central first. I couldn’t...” She knew Komui couldn’t have stopped him. If Cross wanted Red, he would have him. It was unfair and infuriating, but that’s how things worked with central. Exorcists had little to no control over their own lives.

“Why!? He’s never wanted a student before! That useless bastard can’t take care of a child! When did they leave?” Nyne barked, her eyes lit by rage.

            “Not more than a few hours after you did. They could be anywhere by now.” The man fought to stay composed, but his knuckles were white and his was brow furrowed. “I tried to put a tracker on Red, but it was disabled before they even left the canal.”

            “Why?!” She repeated, her voice tight with anger. “He’s going to ruin that boy. Red needs a teacher not a shady alcoholic asshole!”

            “I know.” Was all Komui could say. Nyne stormed towards the exit, but stopped in the doorway.

            “I’ll be traveling for a while. I can’t say when I’ll return.” She needed to clear her head. The beaches of Nice would be nice this time of year.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone had talked to be about the relationship between Red and Nyne because she used to work in the circus and I ran with it. Cross was a real ass in this too wow....
> 
> It was short but hope you enjoyed<3


End file.
